Week 8 left the Big 12 looking every bit like the jammed-up, hard-to-read league it has been all fall, but the latest shuffle still produced a few clear winners and losers. Utah remains the conference’s lone unbeaten team, six Big 12 programs are sitting in the AP Top 25, Baylor made a coaching change, and the stretch run is officially here. Against that backdrop, a few teams helped their case in a big way while others took a hard hit.
UCF belongs at the top of the rising list after grinding out an overtime win over BYU. The Knights had to claw for everything in a game that never came easy, and that mattered even more considering how they’ve been piecing things together without quarterback Alonzo Barnett III.
It’s the kind of win that can steady a season and give Scott Frost’s team a real foundation to build on. If Barnett returns, UCF has a path to bowl eligibility.
Cincinnati also made noise in a way that should echo around the rest of the conference. The Bearcats came out and controlled Texas Tech from the start, turning what many expected to be a difficult matchup into a statement performance.
For a team still trying to prove itself in the Big 12 race, that kind of win matters. It also dented Texas Tech’s title hopes in the process.
Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield kept his comments measured afterward, but the result had to feel good all the same.
Arizona rounds out the stock-up group, and the Wildcats deserve it. A lot of people figured last year’s nine-win season might be the ceiling, but Brent Brennan’s team has kept pushing instead of slipping backward.
With Noah Fifita helping steer the offense, Arizona looks at least as good in some areas as it did a year ago. The win over Iowa State was decisive, and it kept the Wildcats squarely in the conversation for a Big 12 championship game spot.
They’ve also got a tough stretch ahead, with Texas Tech this weekend and Utah two weekends from now, but that only adds to the importance of where they stand now.
The hard fall starts with Baylor, which officially moved on from Dave Aranda on Sunday. The Bears looked like a surprise contender not long ago, but the blocked game-winning field goal against Kansas changed the mood fast.
Baylor’s stock cratered with the firing, and the rest of the season now figures to be a rough ride in Waco. Aranda earned respect across the conference, and the expectation is that he’ll land on his feet, possibly as a defensive coordinator in the SEC next year.
For Baylor, though, the search for the next leader is front and center.
Colorado is another team whose stock took a real hit. Against Oklahoma State, the Buffaloes were sharp in the first half and then completely lost the script after one mistake on the first play of the second half.
They went from 24 points before halftime to nothing after it, and the swing in momentum was as dramatic as anything seen all year. The defense remains solid, even if the game numbers won’t reflect that here, but the offense has become too inconsistent to trust.
The concern now is bigger than one loss.
Iowa State also slides down after a poor showing against Arizona. The Cyclones usually bring some level of fight, even in rough stretches, but that wasn’t there this time.
They lacked energy, they lacked consistency, and the result was one of their worst performances in a long time. Benching quarterback Jaylen Raynor only added to the sense that things are off right now.
A Halloween game against Oklahoma State offers a chance to respond, but at the moment Iowa State is looking more and more like a team headed for a bowl-game miss.
In Other News...
Big 12 Takes Strong Stand After What BYU Faced At UCF
A football game that should have been remembered for the action on the field instead became a problem for the stadium atmosphere, and the Big 12 moved quickly to make that clear. The conference said UCF had followed pregame protocols and took immediate steps during the game to remove the people responsible for the anti-religious chants directed at BYU fans, a response that likely mattered in how the league viewed the situation.
The bigger takeaway is that the incident is not being treated as an isolated embarrassment. The Big 12 used the case to announce a new approach to discriminatory conduct at athletic events, one that brings heavier discipline for schools and more consequences when behavior crosses the line. For UCF, the immediate issue is the fine, but the long-term concern is how the league intends to police this kind of conduct going forward. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Faces A Dangerous Baylor Twist With Bowl Hopes Rising
Baylors trip into this week already comes with a different feel after the Bears parted ways with David Aranda and handed the program to interim coach Joe Klanderman. For UCF, it adds another layer to a matchup that already mattered plenty, with the Knights trying to keep their momentum rolling after a recent upset win and move one step closer to bowl eligibility.
Scott Frost has already pointed to Baylors defense as a real challenge, and the coaching change only sharpens the uncertainty around what UCF will see on Friday. The Knights also have a little extra motivation from last seasons Space Game loss, while a few key pieces may be trending in the right direction as game time approaches, leaving the injury picture worth watching as the week goes on. [Read more 🡒]
UCF Defense Faces A Harsh Baylor Test In The Space Game
UCF heads into its Space Game matchup with Baylor already trying to manage a thin defensive margin, and the timing could not be worse. The Knights are preparing to do it without senior linebacker Lewis Carter and without senior defensive back Demari Henderson, two experienced pieces who have helped anchor the unit as the schedule tightens.
Hendersons absence is the bigger blow in the secondary, where UCF will need others to step into larger roles in a hurry. Antione Jackson and Jayden Bellamy are among the defensive backs who will be asked to absorb those snaps, and against a Baylor offense, the Knights will need that reshuffled group to hold up from the start. [Read more 🡒]